volume 29

November 5, 2015November 5, 2015

Animal Arm

GENRE

We’re a duo that plays Rock/Blues/Dancey music with spirit.

HOW DID YOU COME TOGETHER?

We formed in early June 2015. We’d known each other for only two months or so at that time, after meeting on Craigslist. We found we had a number similarities in our musical backgrounds and that we’d be a good fit to get something new going together.

SELF TAUGHT VS. LESSONS?

Sam: I started playing at home at 10/11. Drums were my first instrument. Self-taught right here.

Patrick: When I was 9 years old my father gave me an old snare drum he owned when he was younger. I had originally wanted to play guitar and my grandparents had purchased an acoustic guitar to be shared by me and my brother but I knew he wouldn’t share ha-ha! So I naturally rebelled and decided to play drums. I taught myself through listening to music while playing. First learning coordination by playing the rim of the snare drum like a hi-hat, stomping my foot on the ground for a bass drum and hitting the snare as you would normally hit a snare. I eventually saved up my paper route money and bought a real drum kit.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LIVE PERFORMANCES

Sam: I’ve played southern Ontario to the east coast over the years. One Toronto venue I really like is Tennessee on Queen W.

Patrick: I’ve played all over Canada in places most have played such as the horseshoe, silver dollar room and sneaky dee’s here in Toronto, Gus’s Pub in Halifax, Palomino Cafe in Calgary and an extinct venue in Moncton called The Paramount.

One wild show I played in 2006 was at a venue called The Zoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba. We got into town and noticed there were posters up for a heavy metal show in the same venue on the same night we were playing. Now, the band I was playing in was more of a jam rock band and we had a country band along with us for the tour. When we show up to the venue the booking agent had actually double booked the show and we end up opening a heavy metal show, playing to a sea of kids covered in white and black makeup not impressed with our music, to say the least. The icing on the cake was, we were also staying at the venue because it was also a hotel and it was one of those hotels you can rent the rooms out hourly, nightly or monthly. I may or may not have slept on top of the bed in my sleeping bag ha-ha!

IS IT IMPORTANT THAT ARTISTS WRITE THEIR OWN SONGS?

Sam: Refusing to play covers is a bit silly, not that you have to play them. Musicians should try to write their own stuff, but if they’re unable, leave it to someone who is able.

Patrick: I think it’s important for bands to establish themselves with their own art but I also like when bands pay homage to musicians or bands they love. I think when presenting your own music for the first time to a new audience, it’s always good to give them something that’s a bit familiar. So they have a chance to connect with us through music that we mutually enjoy.ARE YOU PLAYING THE FAME GAME?

Patrick: Fame brings notoriety and sometimes a little more respect, but in the end if fame is being implied as the only way of being successful, then no, it’s not important to me. It’s more important for me to connect with other people through music and ideally be able to support myself with the music that I’m helping create.

To learn more about Animal Arm, feel free to visit their Facebook & Twitter accounts.